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State parks, museums open for Memorial Day, but social distancing still enforced

Sam Houston Jones State Park is more than 1,000 acres located in Moss Bluff. It is one of 21 Louisiana state parks.(Photo: Leigh Guidry/USA Today Network)

Memorial Day celebrations, typically filled with back yard cookouts and trips to the beach, may look a little different this year thanks to the coronavirus pandemic.

Even with Louisiana in Phase 1 of reopening, Gov. John Bel Edwards said groups should still be limited to less than 10 people and everyone should be spaced at least 6 feet apart.

In Phase 1, restaurants' dining rooms and museums are open at 25% capacity. State parks are open, except the three being used by the governor as staging areas for patients with COVID-19. State parks will be open only to Louisiana residents until Phase 2.

Their opening is a chance for residents, who have largely stayed at home for two months, to get out and explore.

"We think this is a great opportunity for Louisiana to get out from being cooped up in the house – do it safely – and see some of the state parks and museums," said Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser.

Guests at state parks and museums are encouraged to wear face coverings, keep a six-feet distance from others, wash their hands frequently and use hand sanitizer, Nungesser said. Employees have gone through training and meetings to help keep visitors safe. Park rangers are prepared to break up groups with more than 10 people.

Louisiana State Park officials, Morehouse Economic Development and The News-Star took a kayak tour of Chemin-a-Haut Creek in Chemin-a-Haut State Park.(Photo: MARGARET CROFT/THE NEWS-STAR, MARGARET CROFT/THE NEWS-STAR)

"Really it’s so important to us, being in the tourism industry, that we keep that curve heading south so we get to Phase 2 and welcome tourists back to Louisiana," he said. "We'll make sure we're part of the solution and not part of the problem."

Going to a state park is a great way to get outdoors while being apart from others, Nungesser said. And it appears others agree, with the state parks' website seeing a large increase in activity and more than 3,000 week-long bookings for campers and cabins.

As an incentive to visit, guests can get a fourth night free when staying overnight by using promo code "welcome back."

In Lafayette, officers will be enforcing social gathering rules, said police spokesman Sgt. Wayne Griffin. He said the department is keeping tabs on social media for chatter about large gatherings.

"The stance is still going to be the same - if we get a call, we're going to go and investigate," he said.

The department hasn't received many calls about large gatherings, but they'll respond, despite the holiday.

"The virus doesn't know it's Memorial Day," Griffin said. "Our first line of defense is going to be to educate. We don't want to break up parties and family gatherings, but we want to stress the importance of social distancing."